TRENTON — A Trenton councilwoman has begun a TV ad campaign asking Gov. Chris Christie for help to combat a wave of violent crime in the state’s capital city.

City Councilwoman Kathy McBride said Trenton needs law enforcement

“If you cannot protect the seven square miles of Trenton, how can you be trusted with our nation’s security?” McBride asks the governor in the commercial, referring to Christie’s potential presidential aspirations for 2016.

Acting Attorney General John Hoffman responded to an increase in homicides by sending the State Police into Trenton on Aug. 15, their fourth deployment in the city in the last 18 months, but they are only expected to remain through the end of the month.

Christie has said that he will not work with Mayor Tony Mack because of the mayor’s indictment on federal corruption charges, but McBride says that it’s wrong to penalize an entire community for the alleged actions of one man.

“I don’t think it’s fair for the residents, I don’t think it’s the right approach,” she said.

McBride is paying for the television ads with money from her re-election campaign fund. She also started a petition on MoveOn.org, asking Christie to use his executive power to deputize additional law enforcement officers to come into the city.